Why BBC’s Merlin Deserves an Equally Awesome Modern-Day Sequel

Ever since the series finale of Merlin, BBC’s fantasy-adventure take on the Arthurian legend, left a gaping hole in our hearts with its heartbreakingly tragic ending, my heart has only asked for one thing: to have the adorable bromance of Colin Morgan and Bradley James (Merlin and Arthur, respectively) back on my television screen. Granted, the series left us with quite a nicely tied up ending to the epic story by not only showing us the final fates of Arthur, Morgana, and Guinevere, but also flashing-forward to present day to show us that the immortal Merlin is still waiting for the Once and Future King, Arthur, to rise again. So while some might see that as a perfectly wrapped up ending, I see it as a fantastic premise for an awesome modern-day sequel.

After all, didn’t Kilgharrah, the Great Dragon, tell Merlin that as the Once and Future King, Arthur would rise again whenever Albion needed him most? And don’t we see Merlin still guarding Arthur’s resting place and Excalibur way down the centuries in modern times? So that should mean that our beloved King Arthur has not yet risen again, which tells us that his second reign is still to come. What better time for Arthur to return to Camelot than in the modern-day as a clueless rebel?

Just think about it, after spending years helping Arthur realize his true destiny and then waiting centuries for him to return, poor Merlin has to once again locate a stubborn and clueless young Arthur and bring him back on track with his destiny. But Arthur, being the spoiled and oblivious (though lovable) brat that he is, wants nothing to do with an old and grumpy Merlin. So, Merlin transforms himself back into his young self to befriend our off-track hero and gain his approval. Of course, oblivious he might be, but stupid our young king is not, so he sees right through our charming wizard’s act, but decides to play along anyway because as annoying and clingy as his new friend might be, Arthur just can’t help but enjoy his bizarre antics.

And off our favorite duo go through the lovely Great Britain on epic adventures and goofy tangents until Arthur is finally ready to embrace his true destiny as the Once and Future King of Albion and face-off against the dangers that threaten it.

No Merlin sequel can be complete without Katie McGrath and Angel Coulby, our marvelous enchantress, Morgana, and charming queen, Guinevere, respectively. Sure, Morgana was killed by Merlin in the series finale and Guinevere couldn’t possibly have lived through all of those centuries, but I am sure we can somehow work them back into our modern-day story. This is, after all, a magical fantasy drama we are talking about. Who’s to say Arthur’s deceptive half-sister and beloved queen weren’t reincarnated right alongside him? Not me, that’s for sure! While we are at it, we can’t have our favorite dorks adventuring around without a well-meaning, but much-exasperated, Gaius to help keep them grounded on their mission, because a huge part of Merlin’s fabulous charm is the delightful sarcasm and priceless facial expressions of the amazing Richard Wilson.

If all that hasn’t convinced you of the gloriousness that could be the modern-day Merlin sequel (honestly, how could it not???), I give you this hilarious behind-the-scenes compilation video of the awesomeness that is the Merlin cast:

See? Just imagine that on your TV screens every week but with the even more added fun of magic and epic adventures all in our modern, everyday world. What more could any of us ask for from our TV screens? This is why we need to make the modern-day Merlin sequel a reality, and we need to make it happen now!

Amna is an absolute geek for television and movies. When she is not freaking out over fictional characters and TV shows, she is found writing poetry and original fiction, and occasionally trying her hand at acting. She enjoys good food and good music, and hopes to one day be a successful actress and writer.